3D Printing by Using a Programming Language with Procedural Abstraction Function
Kanada, Y., IPSJ SIG on Programming, 2015 5th Meeting, 2016-2 (in Japanese).
[ 日本語のページ ]
[ Paper PDF file ]
[ Slides Keynote file (for Mac) with video ]
[ Slides PowerPoint file with video ]
Abstract: When manufacturing or 3D-printing a product using a computer, a program that procedurally controls manufacturing machines or 3D-printers is required. G-code is widely used for this purpose. G-code was developed for controlling of subtractive manufacturing, and a designer historically wrote programs in G-code; however, in recent development environments, the designer describes a declarative model by using CAD, and the computer converts it to a G-code program. However, because the process of additive man- ufacturing, such as 3D printing, is more intuitive than subtractive manufacturing, it sometimes seems to be advantageous to describe an abstract procedural program by the designer for this purpose. This paper, thus, proposes a method for generating G-code by describing an abstract Python program using a library for procedural 3D-design and for printing by a 3D printer, and shows use cases. Although shapes printable by this method are restricted, this method can eliminate layers and layer seams and eliminate support material, which is necessary for conventional methods when an overhang exists, and it enables seamless and artistic printing.
Introduction to this research theme: 3D shape formation technologies